At first glance, you may think me the inveterate bon vivant (which I am) and not the man in camouflage who can command troops and hit a target five hundred yards away with an M16 (which I can do). Back when I was a skinny, insecure nineteen-year-old, I enlisted in (actually, I snuck in to pass the physical) the pre-DADT United States Marine Corps. To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing joining the toughest branch of our armed forces and even lied on the enlistment papers about my sexuality. I had to; being gay in the military was illegal--out was not in.

I wasn't planning on having my private life exposed in this hyper-masculine military world. I got to boot camp burdened by the secret of being gay. Talk about camouflage! Midway through the thirteen weeks of recruit training, the struggle to survive and become a Marine trumped my fear of being found out.

In fact, my platoon was full of wild characters -- including other recruits and drill instructors. Everyone came in with some feeling of being different. I served with guys who had been pre-judged for the color of their skin, for their weight, for their poverty. The battle for acceptance is waged on many fronts.

I wrote this book of Marine Corps boot camp stories to chronicle my mishaps and adventures during my time in service, and to give some form of hope to those struggling with acceptance. I am proof that we can do anything we want to, with training and dedication. And a sense of humor. Kirkus Reviews informs readers that his book is "a coming of age story." I enjoy speaking to the Young Adult and Contemporary reading audiences at his live events, on television and radio shows, and in correspondence.

Today, I write television and host a show on Food Network, How did I go from serving in the USMC to serving up pie on television? The Marines make everything possible.

People are talking about The Pink Marine...

ABOUT GREG COPE WHITE

Author, blogger, television writer, actor, world traveler, and inveterate bon vivant, Greg Cope White is a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, now battling it out online and on television.

He served six years in the Marines, achieving the rank of sergeant. Truly a glutton for punishment, he went on to complete Officer Candidate School over the course of two summers after boot camp—effectively completing basic training three times.